Knitting-machine needle.



P. POPE & BIB. RANDALL. KNITTING MACHINE NEEDLE.

APPLICATION FILED D110. 28, 1909.

1,096,945. Patented Ma 19, 1914.

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FRANK POPE AND EDISON E. RANEDALL. 0F KANKAKEE. ILLINOIS. ASSIGNORS T0 PARAMOUNT KNITTING 00., OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

KNITTING-MACHINE NEEDLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 19, 191a.

To all whom it may concern Be it .known that we, FRANK Porn and EDISON E. RANDALL, citizens of the United States, and residents of Kankakee, county of Ka-nkakee, State of Illinois, have invented an Improvement in Knitting-Machine Needles, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawing, is a specification. like characters on the drawing representing like parts.

This invention relates to a knitting machine and particularly to the needle and the means for operating it.

This invention is designed to take the place of that type of needle known as the latch needle and the machine in which it is used.

The latch needle with its pivoted latch is open to serious defects inherent in its construction and operation owing to the minute character of the pivotal joint. the continuous swinging of the latch on the pivot, the non-positive action of the latch. the extent of movement of the needle required to form the stitch, and for other reasons familiar to those skilled in this art.

The present invention presents a machine and a needle in which the needle is made up of two separate independently movable members, one formed to present the usual hook and which is herein termed the hook memher, and the other performing the functions of the usual latch and which is herein termed the latch member. These members are separately and positively actuated to cause the cooperation of the latch with the hook to cover and uncover the hook at the proper time. The movements being positive and the construction being exceedingly simple and strong in rinciple remedies substantially all the de ects existing in and the objections to the pivoted latch needle. Furthermore the invention is readily adapted to existing knitting machines, requiring but slight alteration of such machines.

The nature of the invention will .appear more fully from the accompanying description and drawings'and will be particularly defined in the appended claims;

The drawings represent a preferred form of needle embodying the invention, the needlebeing shown in connection with so much of an ordinary plain circular knitting machine as is necessary for an understanding of its operation.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a View chiefly 1n cross section of the upper portion of the needle and cam cylinders of an ordinary type of plain circular knitting machine show ng a needle of the preferred form of tips lnveution in position; Fig. 2 is a side view, and Fig. 3 a rear elevation of the latch member enlarged of the preferred form of needle embodying the invention; Fig. 4 is a view 1n cross section of the needle cylinder shpwing a needle such as illustrated in Fig. 1 in position with the hook member of the needle partially in cross section; Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 showing the needle in depressed position; Fig. 6 is a view chiefly in cross section of the upper end of the hook member of the preferred form of needle shown in Fig. 1.

It is unnecessary herein to describe any particular form of knitting machine be cause the needle of this invention is adapted to replace the ordinary pivoted latch needle in any form of machine where the latter is used and very little modification of any such machine will be found necessary to adapt the needle of this invention thereto. For convenience there is illustrated in Fi 1 a portion of the cam and needle cylin ers of an ordinary type of plain circular knitting machine. In this figure the needle cylinder is shown at 1 and the cam cylinder at 2.

A needle embodying the present invention :comprises physically-separated or disconnected cooperating hook and latch members relatively movable to cause the codperation of the latch and hook.

Referring to the drawing, the hook member of the needle 3 is of practically'the same form as the corresponding member of the ordinary. pivoted latch needle comprising the hooked end 4 and a shank and butt 5 which vary in length. shape and proportion according to the particular style of needle in a well known manner. The book member 3 is slotted at 6 near its forward end at about the position of the usual slot for the pivoted latch, and this slot is preferably made in the form of a saw kerf entering the hook member from the front so that the end walls of the slot converge rearwardly and present at the rear surface of the hook member shoulders 7 and 8. The hook member is mounted to slide longitudinally in a groove 9 formed in the usual manner in the exterior surface of the needle cylinder, and it is' given its longitudinal movement in the usual manner as by engagement of its butt 5 with a cam 10 on the face of the cam cylinder 2. In this preferred form of the invention, the latch member is preferably made of sheet metal and of a thickness such as will allow it to move readily within the slot 6 of the hook member. This latch member is shown in Figs. 2 and 3 and comprises a head 11 and a tail 12. 'A longitudinal auxiliary groove 13' adapted to cooperate with the shoulder'7 of the hook member, while the cam surface 15 and shoulder 17 are adapted to cooperate with the shoulder 8 of the hook member. The tail 12 of the latch member slides within the groove 13 and is in frictional engagement therewith so that it will not move unless positively operated. To secure this frictional engagement, the tail isvpreferably bent as indicated at18. The cam surfaces are so shaped and the "distance between the shoulders 16 and'17 as compared wlth the .distance between the-shoulders 7 and 8 is such that the movementof the hook member longitudinally under the control of its operating cam results in the various movements of the members of the needle. Thus starting with the needle in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 4, the yarn is fed beneath the book 4 of the hook member; the hook memher is retracted or moved downwardly by the cam engaging the butt 5 until the shoulder 7 engages the cam surface 14; the shoulder 7 acting on the cam surfacel l moves the latch member laterally or transversely of the hook member within the slot so as to project the latch end 19 beneath the hook =1 just free of the hook and covering the hook or in such position that the thread will be shunted over the point of the, hook; as'the hook member continues its retracted or downward movement it carries with. it the latch, the parts then being as indicated in Fig. 5, until the limit of movement is reached; when the hook member rises or moves forward it moves by itself independently of the latch member for a short distance and then the shoulder 8 engages the cam surface 15- moving the latch laterally or transversely of the hook member backward; the hook member continuing its for- Ward or upward movement carries the latch member with it to a position where itwill be ready again to be projected at the proper time upon the retraction of the hook member.

It will thus be seen that the latch and j hook members have relative longitudinal and transverse bodily movement and that the operation of the members of theneedle is positive and that the longitudinal movement of the needle necessary to take and cast off the loops is much less than in the case of the pivoted latch needle, thus enabling a needle-operating cam of, flatter angle to be used and consequently less wear and strain upon the butts of the needle. The action of the members of the needle is positive, the shoulders on the hook member cooperating -with the cam surfaces and shoulders on the Having fully described our invention,

what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

. 1. A knitting machine needle comprising a longitudinally slotted hook member, a latch member provided with a head entering said slot and independently movable longitudinally and transversely of said hook member, and means on said members for causing longitudinal and transverse movements of the latch member to cover and uncover the hook" the slotted'portion of said hook member into and out of cooperative relation therewith,

and means governed by the operation of the hook member to effect the movement of" the latch member.

4; A knitting machine needle comprising a longitudinally slotted hook member and a latch member having relative longitudinal and transverse bodily movement through the slotted portion of said hook member into and out of cooperative relation therewith,

the said members engaging upon each re ciprocation to 'efl'ect the movement of the one from the other.

5. In a knitting machine a knitting machine needle com rising a hook member slotted longitudinal y, alatch member projecting into said slot and provided with cam 110 I latch member having relative longitudinal and transverse bodily movement through surfaces cooperating respectively with the walls of said slot whereby upon the forward movement of the hook member the latch member will be drawn into the slot and upon the retraction of the hook member will be PI'OJGCtQd through the slot to cover the hook, and means for effecting the movement of the hook member.

6. In a knitting machine a knitting machine needle comprising a hook member slotted longitudinally, a latch member proect-ing into said slot and provided with oppositely disposed cam surfaces and shoulders cooperating respectively with the walls of said slot whereby upon the forward movement of the hook member one cam surface will act to withdraw the latch member into the slot, one shoulder will act to cause the forward movement of the latch member by the hook member, and upon the retraction of the hook member the other cam surface will act to cause the latch member to be projected from the slot to cover the hook and the other shoulder will act'to cause the latch member to be retracted b the hook member without contacting with the hook, and means Iif)? effecting the movement of the hook memr. 7. In a knitting machine a needle bed presenting a longitudinal slot in its face to receive and guide a needle member and an auxiliary longitudinal slot beneath said main slot to receive and guide a second needle member, a needle comprising a hook member and a latch member longitudinally movable bodily, the said needle members mounted to move in said slots, one needle member frictionally engaging its slot to se cure a retardation of movement, and means for effecting the cooperating movement of said member from the other member upon the movement of the other member in its slot.

8. In a knitting machine a needle comprising a hook member and a se arate latch member having relative longitu lnal bodily movement into and out of cooperative relation, a needle bed provided with superlmposed slots of different widths one for each of said members, means independent of one member for creating retarding friction between the other of said members and the walls of its slot, and means for giving positive longitudinal movement to the first of said members to bring said members into cooperative relation.

In a knittin machine a needle comprising a longitu inally slotted hook member, a separate latch member movable longitudinally and laterally in said slot to cover and uncover the hook, a needle bed provided with superimposed slots, one for each of said members, means independent of the hook member for creating retarding friction between the latch member and the walls of its slot, means for giving ositive lateral movement to the hook mem r, and means governed by the movement of the hook member to effect the movement of the latch member therefrom.

10. In a knitting machine, a knitting machine needle com rising a hook member slotted longitudina ly, a latch member projecting into said slot and provided with a cam surface cooperating with a Wall of said slot whereby upon the retraction of the hook member the latch member will be projected through the slot to cover the hook, and means for effecting a longitudinal movement of the hook member.

11. In a knitting machine, a needle comprising a longitudinally slotted hook memher, a latch member having relative bodily movement through the slotted portion of said hook member into and out of cooperative relation therewith, and means independent of the hook member and located at the rear of the hook member opposite the hook ice for creating friction on the latch mem- 12. In a knitting machine a needle comprising a hook member and a separate latch member having relative longitudinal bodily movement into and out of cooperative relation, and a needle bed provided with super imposed slots of different widths one for each of said members.

In testimony whereof, we have signed our names to this specification, in the presence-of two subscribing witnesses.

' FRANK POPE. I EDISON E. RANDALL.

Witnesses:

B. E. Bonaonons, WM. E. Ape'rm. 

